"You can't do this" - WWE legend on The Undertaker's advice to large tag team
Matt Hardy recently recalled how advice from the likes of The Undertaker affected the quality of The Hardy Boyz’s matches against Test and Albert.
In 2000, Jeff and Matt Hardy (w/ Lita) regularly faced the T&A members (w/ Trish Stratus). Test and Albert were two of the largest superstars on the roster at the time. For that reason, The Undertaker advised them not to let their opponents knock them down too easily.
Speaking on “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” podcast, Hardy explained why matches against Test and Albert initially proved challenging.
“I think the trickiest thing for both of us was working with these guys whenever they first started as T&A because you had the ‘Takers, you had the big men saying, ‘You guys are big men, you can’t go down, you can’t do this, you can’t do whatever,’” Hardy said. [32:04-32:20]
The Hardy Boyz and Lita defeated T&A and Trish Stratus in a six-person tag team match at Fully Loaded 2000. Following the success of the 13-minute contest, WWE booked the same match at live events throughout the summer of 2000.
How Test and Albert changed their approach after The Undertaker’s advice
Here’s a little T & A to brighten up your day! I hope you’re stratusfied!
#WWE #Test #Albert #TrishStratus #AttitudeEra #MondayMotivation @NXTMattBloom @trishstratuscom #RAW https://t.co/tjz3w0SoLE
Jeff and Matt Hardy had great chemistry with The Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian in the early 2000s. Two decades on, the former rivals are viewed by many as three of the greatest duos of their generation.
Test and Albert, by contrast, were best known for their work as WWE singles competitors. In time, Matt Hardy felt T&A learned to adjust their style when they faced the high-flying Hardy Boyz.
“You still have to take bumps in the right points for these teams,” Hardy added. “So that was one of the initial challenges of working with T&A. I feel like the more they worked with us, the much more they got it and the much easier they were to work with and have a match that made everyone happy.” [32:41-32:59]
T&A worked together between March 2000 and January 2001, but they never held the WWE Tag Team Championship.
The tag division was dominated by The Dudley Boyz, Edge & Christian, and The Hardy Boyz in 2000. The tag titles were also held by Right to Censor, The Rock & The Undertaker, and Too Cool during T&A’s run as a team.
Please credit “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.